Christina Formella, 30, now faces total of 55 charges as prosecutor reveals she allegedly abused student starting when he was just 14 and sent ‘grooming’ texts for nearly two years
A married teacher accused of sexually abusing her teenage student has been hit with 52 additional charges after prosecutors revealed she allegedly had sex with the boy around 50 times over nearly two years.
Christina Formella, 30, who taught special education at Downers Grove South High School in Illinois, now faces a staggering 55 criminal charges including sexual assault, abuse, grooming and indecent solicitation of a child.
The shocking new allegations emerged in court on Tuesday when prosecutor Jaclyn McAndrew revealed the alleged abuse began when the victim was just 14 years old – not 15 as originally believed – and continued for almost two years.
Abuse ‘Started at 14’
In a dramatic court hearing, McAndrew told Judge Mia McPherson that Formella allegedly “lured” the boy into a sexual relationship that began about a month after school started in September 2023, when he was only 14.
The prosecutor revealed that Formella allegedly had sex with the student at least 45 times on school grounds during school hours, with additional encounters at her home near the high school.
She knew what she was doing was wrong,” McAndrew told the court, adding that text messages showed the pair almost got caught by another teacher on one occasion.
Judge Calls Case ‘Horrifying’
Judge McPherson called the case “horrifying in nature,” “shocking” and “appalling” during Tuesday’s hearing, but denied prosecutors’ request to detain Formella before trial.
Despite the severity of the charges, the judge ruled that “the community at large is not threatened by Formella,” though she ordered strict new conditions including electronic monitoring of all the teacher’s devices.
State’s Attorney Robert Berlin said: “The new allegations against Ms. Formella, including the allegations of grooming and that the abuse lasted nearly two years, are beyond disturbing.
‘I Love Having Sex With You’
Court documents revealed disturbing text messages between Formella and the student, with the teacher allegedly writing: “I love having sex with you” when she was 28 years old.
The boy allegedly responded: “I know baby I love it so much… It feels so good… It’s so passionate… It’s so intimate… It’s so perfect… I love you so so much mama.”
When confronted by police, Formella claimed the student had stolen her phone, sent the messages to himself, then deleted them from her device as part of a “blackmail” plot.
Husband’s Stone-Faced Support
Formella’s husband Michael accompanied his wife to court in April, remaining stone-faced and silent as they entered the courtroom with their lawyers.
According to reports, the couple married in Italy in 2024, just months before the alleged abuse came to light.
The teacher had coached soccer at the school and was the victim’s tutor when the alleged abuse began.
Discovery Through New Phone
The alleged relationship was exposed when the boy’s mother bought him a new phone and discovered the explicit messages while linking it to his iCloud account in March 2025.
She immediately contacted Downers Grove police, leading to Formella’s arrest during a traffic stop captured on police bodycam footage.
In the video, Formella appeared confused as officers pulled her over and placed her in handcuffs in front of her husband.
‘Memoir’ of Jealousy
Police searching Formella’s phone discovered what prosecutors called a “memoir” in her Notes app, expressing anger that the student had “cheated” on her.
“We will never ever be together again,” Formella allegedly wrote. “I’m not a second choice. I’m the best thing you’ll ever have even with all of my mistakes.”
In a section titled “Manifestations,” she allegedly wrote that she expected the victim to “reach out” to “try to fix things between us.”
‘Good Looks’ Defense
During her initial police interview, Formella maintained her innocence and made the extraordinary claim that “everybody” targets her because of her good looks.
She told detectives she was a “good person” and denied ever having sex with the student, dismissing the allegations as “a figment of his imagination.”
Formella claimed any references to sex in her phone notes were about her husband, not the student.
52 New Charges
The grand jury indictment, which was sealed until Tuesday, added:
- 20 counts of criminal sexual assault
- 20 counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse
- 6 counts of indecent solicitation of a child
- 6 counts of grooming
Combined with her original three charges, Formella now faces 55 criminal counts and a potential sentence of at least 60 years in prison if convicted.
Electronic Monitoring Ordered
While refusing to jail Formella before trial, Judge McPherson imposed strict conditions including:
- Electronic monitoring software on all phones, tablets and computers
- GPS ankle monitor to prevent approaching the victim
- No contact with anyone under 18
- Barred from school property
Formella has formally resigned from her teaching position and surrendered her teaching license.
Grooming Over Two Years
Prosecutors say the investigation revealed Formella sent multiple text messages that were “grooming in nature” throughout the nearly two-year period of alleged abuse.
The sexual contact allegedly occurred both at school – including in her classroom during a tutoring session – and at Formella’s home when she knew they would be alone.
Defense attorney Richard Kayne argued there was no evidence Formella posed a threat to other students and questioned why prosecutors waited a month after the indictment to seek her detention.
Next Court Date
Formella entered a plea of not guilty to all 55 charges during Tuesday’s arraignment.
She is scheduled to return to court on August 4 as the case moves toward trial.
The victim, now 16, has not been publicly identified. Prosecutors praised his courage in coming forward “during what I imagine is an extremely difficult time for him.”
